Russia attacks Japan Tobacco subsidiary in Ukraine | NHK WORLD

Russia attacks Japan Tobacco subsidiary in Ukraine

Russia's defense ministry has announced it carried out a strike on a subsidiary of a Japanese tobacco manufacturing company in Ukraine, claiming it was producing ammunition for Ukrainian forces.

Japan Tobacco International has denied the allegation. It also told NHK in writing that "all our employees are safe."

Russia's defense ministry on Wednesday posted on social media that it launched a massive strike on Ukrainian defense industry enterprises as well as port infrastructure and vessels with ground-, sea- and air-based weapons and drones.

This included JTI's tobacco plant in the Poltava region in central Ukraine.

JTI's official statement reads, "JTI manufactures and sells tobacco products and has never been involved in military production."

The statement also says that the factory was struck "on a number of occasions," and that its operations had been suspended prior to the strikes.

It said it could not provide any further details due to security reasons, but that all its employees were safe.

The Japanese Embassy in Ukraine says there is no information suggesting that any Japanese nationals were affected by the latest attack.